Former presidential secretary Woo should be punished

Former police officer Han il, who had been accused of leaking documents from Cheong Wa Dae in 2014, said on Friday, “The thumb drive that the prosecutors seized back in 2014 had some information about Choi Soon-sil regarding her meddling in the president’s privacy and abusing her power over the Korea Equestrian Federation.” Han added, “An official from the office of the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs who persuaded me that I would not be indicted if I confess I gave documents to former police officer Choi Gyeong-rak, who killed himself as the investigation on document leakage continued, took files about such information about Choi Soon-sil.” Finally, Han revealed that the presidential secretary office was directly involved in the prosecutors’ investigation when the “Document scandal” broke out in 2014.

Han said that none of the prosecutors brought out the name Choi Soon-sil during the investigation. Not sure whether the prosecutors were willing to get into Choi, it is surprising that even the presidential secretary office for civil affairs did not take any actions in order to press further investigation. Woo Byung-woo, the then presidential secretary for civil affairs, was promoted to the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs in January 2015 after Woo successfully covered up the “Chung Yoon-hoi scandal” with document leakage controversies. If the prosecutors or the presidential secretary office were able to stop Choi Soon-sil in meddling in government affairs at least two years ago, the debacle occurring in the administration and an insult to the public would have been avoided.

Woo should have resigned already for his poor personal verification of former senior prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon who created controversies over his huge stock gains. Woo has managed to keep his position by threatening media whenever he was involved in allegations including selloff of a property in Gangnam District owned by his family-in-law through favorable transactions, violation of agricultural laws by Woo’s wife and helping his son to get convenient job in the military police. His snobby and arrogant attitudes at the prosecution’s office while being questioned, some sarcastically mocked that he was treated like an emperor after even summoned, instigated the public to get angry.

Choi Soon-sil and her confidants could have not used their ties with President Park Geun-hye and peddled influences in state affairs including appointment of ministers and senior officials and execution of budget in the cultural industry while taking so many privileges if the office of senior presidential secretary for civil affairs had not accepted their wrongdoings. It is lamentable that, while there were so many chances to stop Choi from meddling in state affairs after the document leakage scandal, no one took care of it in Cheong Wa Dae. More than anyone, it seems Woo should be blamed for not helping President Park get things right.

The prosecutors were not even able to summon Woo, while Woo was staying at Cheong Wa Dae. It goes further to suggest that Woo’s acquaintances are involved in the prosecution team. The prosecution’s office should be aware that Woo used his influences across many government departments, not to mention the prosecution’s office, and gave unreasonable instructions. It is late but the prosecutors should take actions for his abuse of his power right now. After the K-Sports Foundation returned 7 billion won (5.99 million dollars) to Lotte Group just a day before the prosecutors launched investigation, suspicions fueled that information was leaked from the office of senior presidential secretary for civil affairs. A step to achieve justice would be convicting Woo of his malpractices.